The present invention relates to a disposable diaper and, more specifically, a disposable diaper with a sealable enclosure for containing waste and sealing in odor. The present invention also relates to a method for sealing and disposing of the diaper.
Largely because of their convenience, disposable diapers have been transformed from something of a laboratory experiment fifty years ago to becoming a staple in millions of households worldwide. A majority of parents now use disposable diapers on their children, contending that disposable diapers not only provide greater convenience, but perform better and keep their babies dryer than traditional cloth diapers. Disposable diapers also have found large markets with the elderly and infirm, and even some pet owners use disposable diapers on their dogs.
Although there have been tremendous advances in disposable diaper technology, particularly in the past twenty years, the problem still remains of what to do with a soiled disposable diaper following use. While soiled diapers containing only urine may be tossed into a trash receptacle often times without incident, the same is not true with soiled diapers containing more. As any parent will attest, the odor emanating from a truly soiled disposable diaper creates quite a problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,240 to Jacoby et al. discloses a container in which soiled disposable diapers are deposited. By turning a knob on the top of the Jacoby et al. device, a soiled diaper is enveloped in plastic wrapping to seal in the odor and waste. Through using the Jacoby et al. device, a parent may dispose of soiled diapers in such a way that the odor is contained and does not proliferate throughout the house.
One disadvantage of conventional devices for the odor-free disposal of soiled diapers, such as that disclosed by Jacoby et al., is that they require the use of a special dispenser or trash receptacle that is costly and takes up valuable space in the baby's nursery. In addition, these conventional devices must be emptied. Typically, these devices hold upwards of twenty soiled diapers, all strung together in a chain of plastic wrapping. Emptying of these conventional devices therefore can become messy and inconvenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,753 to Gellert discloses a disposable diaper with an integral disposal bag. Specifically, the Gellert device includes a large backing separate from the diaper that forms a pocket wherein the pocket is inverted to encase the diaper. One disadvantage of the Gellert device is that the diaper is merely folded in half prior to disposal, leaving a parent with a bulky soiled diaper. A greater disadvantage of the Gellert device is that it does not seal in odors. Offensive odors are allowed to drift out of the disposal bag taught by Gellert and permeate throughout the house.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method and device for disposing of soiled diapers that does not require the use of a separate dispenser or trash receptacle.
A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable diaper with a sealable enclosure that contains the waste and seals in offensive odors.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.